Electric clock-winding mechanism



Oct. 29, 1929. F.1 U`x ELECTRIC CLOCK WINDING MECHANISM Filed D60. 11. 1926 INVENTOR 'ICdPrz'c/c Lua:

ATTORN Patented 29, 1929 FREDERICK LUX, OF WATERBURY, C()NNEG'IILIQ'U'.l

:LECTRIC CLOCK-WINDING MECHANISM Application ledDecember 11, 1926. Serial No. 154,278.

This invention'. relates to clocks, and moreparticularly to an electric winding attachment which may be installed on a standard clock for eliminating the necessity of manual 4 5 winding.

One object of this invention' is to provide'v an electric winding attachment which will have a strong 'supply of power, making it possible to employ a rugged and sturdy form of switch mechanlsm.

Azfurther' object of this invention is to lprovide a device of the above nature adapted to be operated by an electric motor, and in .which the winding'operation is practically noiseless.

A further object is to provides. novel form of switch for the motor circuit.

l A further object is to provide a clock mechanism in times.

which the tension of the main spring will remainpractically uniform at all A further Objectis to proyidepa device of this nature which will be relatively simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture,

easy to install and manipulate, compact, and

very etlicient andl durable-in use.

With these and other'objects in view tberle have been illustrated on the accompanying drawing two forms in which the invention ma beconveniently embodiedin practice.

'lf ig. 1 -represents a rear view of a standard clock with theyelectric winding lattachment applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a of the clock,

side transverse sectional view showing the wmdlng attachment in operating position. Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary views of the switch 40 mechanism.

Fig. 5 is mechanism showing two of the operating positions of the movable contact la fragmentary sectionalwiew of l the electric winding attachment as applied to a. modified High grade generally cons form of clock.

clocks at the present time are truc'ted with the main springs and the winding is accomplished by rotating the barrel. Another type of construction is to attach the barrel to the main wheel in which case the spring will be wound by rotatng the arbor. In both typeshowever, the operation of winding the clock does not disturb the normal running of the clock train because thetension of the spring is not released at any time.

Many attempts have been made in the past to improve the construction of electrically -wound clocks with the object of increasing the reliability and accuracy thereof. Most of these attempts have merely resulted in substituting more expensive elements forcertain standard parts of the clock mechanism.

yF or example, some inventors have elimi'- c5 nated the ordinary main spring and its Yassociated elements, and substituted therefor a quick-action spring connected with the center arbor and requiring very fre uent rewinding.v In most of the electrical y wound clocksof this nature, the period between successive winding operations varies from a .few seconds to a few minutes. These clocks were also subject to the great disadvantage thatv the power applied to the clock train was not 'I5 uniform, but varied from the' maximum to the minimum strength of the s ring between each winding operation. `oreover, the

winding of, such a spring was generally aclng' this sensitive switch mechanism caused itl to rapldly wear out. In fact it was the weakest part of the entire clock mechanism.

By means of the present invention, the above and other disadvantages have been avoided. This has been accomplished without disturbing the standard main spring of 00 the clo'ck and by constructing an electricallyoperated winding mechanism as an attach,- ment separate from the standard clock construction. The power for winding the main spring is supplied by means of a relatively powerful electric motor, the energy from which is delivered to the spring through suitable reduction gearing. In the installation of this motor-operated spring-winding attachment, it is only necessary to omit the usual winding key and spring Varbor and replace them with an elongated arbor Wlnch projects out from the rear of the clock frame, and also to connect said arbor with said motor by means of a suitable trainof gears. The mechanism is preferably so arranged that the main sprinfr of the clock will be rewound after each revolution of the main wheel, which generally occurs once in every six hours. In view of the fact that the driv#y ing tension of the main spring remains practically constant throughout the secondand third revolution thereof, it will be seen that the accuracy of the clock will not be affected by variations in the power of the main spring.

The winding attachment is also so constructed that the full power of the main spring may be utilized to effect the closing of the motor circuit, and the full power of the electric motor may be employed for opening said circuit. It will thus be seen that it will not be necessary to employ a light and sensitive-functioning switch mechanism, as in the previous forms of electrically wound clocks. but the switch may be made of heavy and durable construction.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals denote corresponding )arts throughout the several views, the first orm of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4 comprises a clock having its main spring housed in the first type of barrel construction mentioned above. The numeral 10 indicates a metal panel member attached to the rear of a standard spring-barrel operated clock generall indicated by the numeral 11. As clearly shown in Fig. 2, the clock mechanism, of which only a part is shown herein, is supported between a front plate 12 and a rear plate 13, said plates 12 and 13 being held in parallel spaced relation by a plurality of connecting posts 14, said posts being adapted to project rearwardly through the panel 10 to which they are secured by nuts 15 screwed upon the threaded ends of said posts. As clearly shown in Fig. 2, the first form of clock is provided witha dial 16 secured in spaced relation to and in front of the plate 12, as by short posts 17. The clock is provided with the usual front shaft 18, carrying onits forward end the minute hand 19, and surrounding said shaft 18 isa tubular shaft 20 carrying an hour hand 21. The shafts 18- and 20 are operated in the usual manner from the clock gear train.

Provision is also-made of a main spring 22 of standard construction, said main spring being secured at its center to a main arbor 23 and at its periphery to a drum or barrel 24, said arbor 23 having an enlarged hub 25 upon which is rigidly mounted the main wheel 26 of the clock.

In order to cause the main spring 22 to be wound periodically after the main arbor 23 has made one revolution, which ordinaril occurs once every six hours, and thereby to maintain the tension of the main spring practically constant at all times, provision is made of a winding gear member 27 loosely mounted on the end of the main arbor 23. The gear member 27 is provided with gear teeth 28 on its periphery which are adapted to mesh with a worm 29 carried on a shaft 30,

said shaft 30 in turn carrying a gear 31, the i latter meshing with a worm 32 mounted.

upon a shaft 33 of an electric motor 34. The motor 34 is preferably suspended, as by screws 35, from an angular bracket 36, the latter being attached. as by screws 37, to the top of the panel member 10.

Electricity is supplied to the motor by means of a pair of insulated Wires 38 and 39 leading from a source of current, not shown, such as a battery or transformer.4 The wire 38 is grounded at 39L to the upper left hand corner of the metal plate 10, as viewed in Fig. 1, and the wire 39 is connected to one terminal of the motor 34. The other terminal of the motor 34 is connected, as by a wire 40, to a stationary contact comprising a resilient metal strip 41 secured at one end, as by a screw 42, to an insulating block 43 rigidly mounted upon the panel 10. The strip 41 has a downwardl curved free extremity 44, for a purpose to he hereinafter described.

` The movable contact of the switch comprises a T-shaped dangler member 45 having an arc-shaped Contact section 46 at its outer end, and being free to rotate upon a reduced section 47 .extending from the rear end of the arbor 23 beyond the surface of the winding gear member 27. The dangler member 45 is adapted to be in electrical contact with the shaft 23 at all times, said shaft being electrically connected with the plate 10 through the gear member 27. The dangler member 45 is adapted to have a rotary rubbing contact with the resilient stationary contact stri 41, this construction causing the contact sur aces to. be kept clean at all ltimes'.

The right-hand arm lof the contact sector 46 is bifurcated at 48 for carrying a small insulated roller 49, said roller being journaled on a pivot pin 50 carried byI the bifurcated sides 48. By providing the roller 49 the engagement of the movable dangler mem- `ber 45 wlth the stationary contact 41 is made As will be clearly understood, the circuit through the motor 30 will remain closed as long as the sector 46 remains in contact with the resilient strip 41. The operation of the motor. by means of the train of gears 29, 30, 31, and 32, will cause the gear member 27 to make one revolution, thereby windin the main spring 22 and restoring it to its orlginal tension. The gear member 27 is provided with an upstanding pin 51 which is vadapted to .engage the neck ot' the dangler member 45 and push the latter ahead of it until the circuit is broken. The motor will then stop, leaving the gear member 27 in the position shown in Fig. 4, lsaid lgear member being held against counter-clockwise rotation by the'worm 29 which engages therewith.

^ lIn order to cause the motor circuit to close again when the main arbor 23 of vthe clock .ber will then be forced up against the Iresilient free end 44 of the stationary 'contact41 raising the latter and plaein it under tension. The continued slow rotation of the clock arbor 23 then will cause thecenter of the 'roller 49 to pass beyond'the downturned ei:-

' tremity 44of the resilient contact strip 41.

The roller 49 will then turn raiidly on its pivot pin 50, causing a sudden orwardmotion ot the dangler member. 45, bringing the metal sector\46`in to electricalcontact with the metal strip 41 and closin the circuit through' the motor. The cyc e described above will then be repeated.m

As clearly shown in the drawings, the end of the sector 46 of the`dangler member 45 opposite from the insulating roller 49 is pref# erably made rounded so that as the dangler is moved forward by the pin 51 of the motoroperated winding gear 27, the end of the resilient contact strip 41,.by reason Aof its tension, will ride over said rounded end and give' the dangler member 45 a rapid violent forward motlon, thus breaking the circuit suddenly with the minimum of sparkin It will be understood that an farcing whic may occur at the breaking o contact will take place on the portion of the dangler member 45 below the lcontact surface, so that oxida-` tion eiects of the sparking will not injure the contact surfaces of the switch. Owing to the fact that the dangler. member 45 .is loose on the extension section 47, 'it will ordivnarily drop by gravity to the position shown in Fig. 1.

In the event of failure of the current supply for any reason, the clock will continueto run only until the neck of the dangler has been forced by the pin 53 into contact with the pin 51 of the winding gear, thereby locking the mechanism and causingthe-clock to stof)l due to the failure of power.

n order to insure the positive starting of the clock when the current is again available, the sector 46 of the dangler member 45 is preferably made of such a ength thatthe contact 41 will continue to rest .on it and maintain the electrical contact indelinitely until current is again supplied. The motor will then immediately function and will wind the clock in the normal manner.

In the modified form of the invention sol shown in Fig. 5, the second type of main f spring barrel housing is illustrated. Thus, a carrierl arm 54 is mounted on a collar 55 surrounding the arbor 23, said collar being rigidly connected with the main wheel 56 and the main spring barrel 57. lA dangler member 58 is provided and is loosely pivoted on the main arbor 23. A winding gear member 59 is located on a reduced end 60 of the arbor 23, In this modified construction, it will be seen that the main spring 22 will be wound up by rotating the main arbor instead of rotating the main spring barrel, as in the irst form of the invention.

While there have been disclosed in. this specification two forms in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that these forms are shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosures but may be modied and embodied in various other forms without departin from its spirit.

v,member having an insulating roller at its extremity whereby the switch contacts will be prevented from premature electrical engagement. y

2. In a switch mechanism for .controlling the winding of the main spring of an electrically-'wound clock, a resilient stationary contact member, a rotary current-carryingl contact member, means for periodically ro? tating said rotary contact member intoenagement with said stationary contact memer, said rotary contact member having an insulating roller at its extremity whereby the switch contacts will be prevented from premature electrical engagement.

3. In a switch mechanism for controlling the winding of the main spring of an electrically-Wound clock, a stationary contact member, a T-shaped rotary contact member,

means for periodically rotating said rotary contact member into engagement with said stationary Contact member, said rotary contact member having an insulating'roller at its extremity whereby the switch contacts will be prevented from premature electrical engagement.

Intestimony whereof, I have axed my signature to this specication.

FREDERICK LUX. 

